Method of making sandwich-like product starting with extruded profile

Abstract

A process of making a multi-layered product from an extruded sheet or web of material ( 42 ) having parallel upper and lower walls ( 130 ) and a plurality of spacers ( 134 ) extending between the upper and lower walls ( 130 ) is provided. Portions of the extruded web or extrudate ( 42 ) are removed in selected areas. The lightened web is then folded. Outer skins are then applied to the folded web. The extrudate ( 42 ) is formed into a product ( 10 ) having a plurality of cells ( 14 ). The cells ( 14 ) may have one or more openings ( 34 ), allowing access to an interior of the cell ( 14 ) and reducing the weight of the product ( 10 ).

I claim: 
     
       1. A process of making a sandwich-like product, said process comprising, in any desired order:
 providing an extruded web having spaced upper and lower walls and a plurality of spacers extending between the upper and lower walls, the spacers being spaced from each other to define a plurality of flutes; 
 removing portions of the extruded web using multiple movable tools to create a treated web having lightened areas transversely extending from one side edge of the extruded web to the other side edge of the extruded web; 
 folding the treated web such that upper and lower walls of the untreated regions of the treated web become sidewalls of a plurality of cells arranged in rows of a core of the sandwich-like product; 
 applying outer skins to tops and bottoms of the cells of the core to create a multi-layered web. 
 
     
     
       2. The process of  claim 1  further comprising cutting the multi-layered web. 
     
     
       3. The process of  claim 1  wherein removing portions of the extruded web comprises using rotating tools. 
     
     
       4. The process of  claim 3  wherein the rotating tools comprise dado blades. 
     
     
       5. The process of  claim 3  wherein the rotating tools travel in opposite directions. 
     
     
       6. The process of  claim 3  wherein the rotating tools travel in the same direction. 
     
     
       7. A process of making a sandwich-like product, said process comprising, in any desired order:
 moving an extruded web of material having spaced upper and lower walls and a plurality of spacers extending between the upper and lower walls, the spacers being spaced from each other to define a plurality of flutes; 
 stopping the web and removing portions of the extruded web while the extruded web is stopped using at least one movable tool to create a lightened web; 
 folding the lightened web such that the flutes of untreated regions of the lightened web become cells of a middle core; 
 resuming movement of the web; 
 applying outer skins to the tops and bottoms of the cells of the middle core to create a multi-layered web. 
 
     
     
       8. The process of  claim 7  further comprising cutting the multi-layered web. 
     
     
       9. The process of  claim 7  wherein removing portions of the extruded web while the extruded web is stopped comprising using multiple movable tools. 
     
     
       10. The process of  claim 7  wherein removing portions of the extruded web comprises using at least one rotating tool. 
     
     
       11. The process of  claim 10  wherein removing portions of the extruded web comprises using multiple dado blades. 
     
     
       12. The process of  claim 11  wherein the dado blades travel in opposite directions. 
     
     
       13. The process of  claim 11  wherein the dado blades travel in the same direction. 
     
     
       14. The process of  claim 7  wherein the extruded web is heated prior to removing portions of the extruded web. 
     
     
       15. A process of making a sandwich-like product, said process comprising, in any desired order:
 removing rectangular-shaped portions from an extruded web to create alternating treated and untreated rectangular areas in a lightened web, the extruded web having spaced upper and lower walls and a plurality of spacers extending between the upper and lower walls, the spacers being spaced from each other to define a plurality of flutes; 
 folding the lightened web such that untreated regions of the extruded web become blocks, each of the blocks comprising a plurality of cells arranged in a row; 
 joining adjacent blocks to each other to create a create a middle core; 
 applying outer skins to the middle core. 
 
     
     
       16. The process of  claim 15  wherein removing portions of the extruded web comprises removing portions of the extruded web while leaving at least one of the upper and lower walls of the extruded web remaining. 
     
     
       17. The process of  claim 15  wherein removing portions of the extruded web comprises using rotating tools. 
     
     
       18. The process of  claim 15  wherein the rotating tools comprise dado blades. 
     
     
       19. The process of  claim 18  wherein the dado blades travel in opposite directions. 
     
     
       20. The process of  claim 18  wherein the dado blades travel in the same direction.